Chain initiation and control of protein synthesis.
Analysis of the enzymatic mechanism of chain extension during protein synthesis and studies with N-formylmethionyl-sRNA suggest that chain initiation requires formylation of the amino group of the amino acid destined to start chain growth. The existence of a set of starting triplets coding for a special set of N-formylaminoacyl-sRNA's is postulated. These triplets might be ambiguous in the sense that they specify different amino acids, depending on whether they are at the beginning of or within a message. A number of starting triplets and their NH(2)-terminal amino acids are predicted from previously suggested ambiguities. The biochenmical, regulatory, and genetic implications of a formylation step controlling chain initiation are discussed.
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D002621:Chemistry; D004926:Escherichia coli; D005561:Formates; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008715:Methionine; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D012343:RNA, Transfer; D011817:Rabbits; D051381:Rats
D005561:Formates; D012343:RNA, Transfer; D008715:Methionine